After much discussion, Feather River Recreation and Park District representative TJ Jensen motioned to reimburse the city for almost $70,000 spent on studies for a whitewater rafting park and to commit another $141,800 for an environmental study.

Andoe argued that there are too many unknowns in the rafting park to continue putting money toward that project.

He favored funding smaller projects that could be completed such as a competition swimming pool or adding other amenities to the Thermalito Forebay.

Andoe said the consultants estimated a $60 million whitewater park project that included other outdoor recreation venues, and without redevelopment agency money, the city could not fund that.

He said he didn't want to kill the project, but to put it on hold until more funding became available.

Dave Steindorf of American Whitewater said he understood Andoe's opinion, as he had been concerned about funding.

However, he said the dollar figure given by the consultants was based on figures for the U.S. National Whitewater Center in North Carolina.

Steindorf said Oroville already has many of the trails and recreation amenities that they built from scratch for that park.

In addition, he said many projects are coming with relicensing of the Lake Oroville Dam.

He also mentioned a $5 million grant that could be used for a swimming pool. Steindorf said the project could be funded with SBF money, grant funding and coordinating with all agencies on projects.

Matt Murray, a California Department of Water resources representative, said the Settlement Agreement requires DWR to do feasibility studies for a swimming pool at Loafer Creek, Lime Saddle and the Thermalito Forebay. The swimming pool has to be under way within a year of when DWR is issued a license to generate electricity at the Lake Oroville Dam and facilities, he said.

In addition, the department has to build a bicycle trail near the Diversion Pool and a foot crossing in that area.

Pittman agreed.

Pittman sits on the city committee for the whitewater park. At a recent meeting with the various agencies including DWR and the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission, Pittman said the whitewater park is workable.

While there are some questions about things such as water temperature and where water and energy would come from, these questions can be answered in the environmental document. When the license is issued, DWR will have to release another 200 cubic feet a second of water into the low-flow section of the Feather River.

If the city could use that water for the park and to generate power, the park wouldn't have any costs, he said.

However, those questions still need to be answered, he said.

Dahlmeier said the agencies need more coordination on what projects are going in the next few years.

Dahlmeier sits on the SBF committee that is trying to coordinate with other agencies, she said, and she has recently acquired a list of relicensing projects from DWR.

Dahlmeier said they need to fund the environmental document and keep the momentum going on a park that has been talked about for a decade.

"It's never been at a better spot to move it forward, he said.

The $141,000 will help pay for the final phase of an environmental study, which will cost $341,800 for all three phases.

The study looks at the environmental issues for a whitewater park adjacent to the Feather River below the Diversion Dam in a site with about 120 acres.

The city picked the out-of-water park that would recirculate the water to avoid the environmental issues with fish and habitat in the river.

The location also sits above the Fish Barrier Dam where salmon are taken into the Feather River Fish Hatchery to spawn.